2011 Video Staff Golf Outing



John Derby, Jon Filloon, Brian Filloon, Ron Stewart



Friday marked the annual Iowa Football Video Staff Golf Outing, Picnic and Awards Banquet. This year there were 24 participants with six different foursomes. Brown Deer Golf Course was the setting on the best day Coralville has seen all spring.

This year's tournament had an added rule to it, answering 18 questions divided into three groups-history of Big Ten Football, history of Iowa Football, and history of Iowa Video. First place was determined by low golf score minus number of correct questions.

Controversy surrounded this year's outing. Rules specifically state that each group's captain needs to be a member of the video staff. The winning group did not adhere to those policies. After taking a year off, Sheriff Ron Stewart, security captain of the Iowa Football team returned and brought his own team to participate including John Derby, Jon Filloon and Brian Filloon - two former Hawkeye football players. In 2009 Stewart was thought to be a "ringer" by a competing at-large member. Following shoulder surgery in 2010, Stewart returned to win. Their final golf score was 62, 9 under with 13 correct on the test.

 Coming in second with a similar golf score were the two graduating seniors of the video staff. Chad Wells and Kyle Yoder (L-R middle) were joined by Tyler Barnes and Don Pirkl. Don represented RTL Equipment, owners of the lifts used for shooting of practice. Pirkl helps maintain the equipment and trains the video staff.

 Third place was taken by the group consisting of Josh Schamberger, Kevin Long, Matthew Engelbert and Andy Drude. Josh has been a staple of the golf outing in each year of existence. He comes from the Iowa City/Coralville Convention and Visitors Bureau. Kevin Long, former Iowa City West High quarterback as well as the University of Kansas represented RTL's sales staff. Drude works for DragonFly Athletics, the software used for video exchange by most in the country.

In fourth was the team consisting of Dan Kedley, Tyler Anderson, Bob Rahfeldt and Rita Foley. Kedley is a part-time assistant in the Iowa Football Equipment Room. Anderson is the grandson of Defensive Coordinator, Norm Parker, and will be the undergraduate assistant on the staff this year. Bob has been in the video department since 1997 with most of that time assisting me. And many know Foley as the assistant to both Coach Fry and Coach Ferentz over the years.

 The next team was the extremes of golf level. In the middle above, Grant Ridpath and Michael Witt could be the worst two golfers ever to have been on the video staff. Witt is entering his third year in the video department while Ridpath completed his first spring practice. On the left is John Mills who has worked with the video department in many ways over the last 20 years. Currently he works for XOS Digital and is based out of Moline, Illinois. And finally Jay on the end also works for RTL Equipment.

 Perhaps the biggest surprise was this group who finished last. Although two of them aren't blessed with the best golfing talent, the cornerstone of the foursome was one of the better golfers in the tournament. On the left is David "Big D" Blaker, the Video Coordinator for the University of Wisconsin football team. He drove the three hours from Madison to see what all of the publicity surrounding this event was. On the right is Iowa Equipment Manager Kevin Foor and in the middle are two Video Staff Members, Derek Ambrose and Emma Ravenscroft. Emma's dad, Bob was the head of the video department in the late 80s and early 90s and hired me. Derek is in his second and last season with the team.

Following the round of golf, all participants were treated to dinner as part of the Video Picnic and Awards Banquet. Prizes were provided by the Insight Bowl, various NFL teams, the Iowa City / Coralville Convention and Visitors Bureau as well as those brought from Des Moines by Sheriff Ron. And in addition to the above, all participants were given a souvenir 2011 Iowa Football Video Staff Golf Towel.